Protracted Meeting (May 6, 1852)

May 6, 1852

;Proact X ng. ^ -

The especial friends of Mr. Fillmore, in .New -fork city, are engaged in holding a se- rh-s I evening for the purpose of adv: eing that gentleman s presidential pros- Pec:s. The New 'rork Herald, in its own p( style, compares these meetings to efforts of zet1ous religionists to gct U.) a " revival," when there is no that the multitude of sinner3 are moved by nny ,pecial . Collector Maxwell ap- pearn to Iee the ruling spirit in these meetings The Daily Times (Wliig) gives full reports of the proceedings. As a specimen of their we eive the following extract:

Mr. Maxwell asked Mr. Cushman if be could explain the lat'^ -movement in favor of Mr. Webster? How came so many merchants to sign the call for that meeting, if they were friendly to Mr. Fillmore!

Mr. Cnahman could explain. The fact was the merchants were friendly to Mr. Webster, but it was only in the abstract. He was himi se!f a friend of Mr W., but he had no idea of urging his nomination, for it was well known that he could . Tiey signed the call because they respected his talents, bu when you talked to them about going for his nomination, they would not think of it. They were like the man s friend, ready to give any amount of advice but not to endorse his note

Mr. Maxwell felt anxious to know about the young men-the clerks-how did they feel I were they Webster men. too, or were i they Scott men, or were they friends of Mr. Fillmora?

Mr. Cushman was fully satisfied that they decidedly preferred Mr. Fillmore. He had five sons; lie believed there were six; all young men who were engaged in various pursuits, and wete all Fillmore men but one, for Scott; not a single Webster man amon-g-tem.

Mr. Maxwell onion Sho Mr. Simonson. That gentleman was much among engaged in the shipping business and he could no doubt tell them how the case stood in that quarter.

Mr. Charles Simonson knew many work- , and be was confident they were r1l for Fillmore; that is, the were for h.m when you found them. He had about sev- enty men in his employ, and he was sure ev ery w ing among them was for Fillmore.

Err. Maxwell asked if the workingmen were engaged in the late movement in favor of Myr. Webster ?

Mr. Siimonson thought they were not;- The only in his ward who were enga- ged in it, were those who had always been krown Whigs; that is, you had to pay them to work, and pay them for voting.

M r. Maxwell asked Mr. S. if he knew any Democirts who would vote for Mr. Fillmore?

Mr. Simonson did know many such. One prominent Democrat Mr. Westervelt, who had been an Aldermau of the ward, had told him that if Mr. Cass was not nominated, he should-vote for Mr. Fil'more.

The Commercial Aevertiser calls the Times to ar account for giving publicity to conver- sations of the character-the former paper claiming that it was intended to be strictly confidential, and by no means to reach the public ear. Whereupon the Times stands upon the defensive as follows:

" The meeting referred to was in no sense confidential- being as freely admit- jcd as at anv other political meetings. The report in the Times of Mr Collector Maxwell's -rose. of the several witnesses and of the whole proceedings, was as literally accurate as it could be made.

The truth is, these meetings have had a very definite and praiseworthy purpose.- They are under the immediate guidance and guardianship of the Collector of the Port, who is a veteran politician, and who under- stands perfectly the necessity of finding out where his friends are before he attempts to use them. It may seem somewhat unusual that an officer of the Government in his pox I tirion, should take such an active and deci- in preliminary movements of a po- sighted sagacity witt whCh zr. his purposes. His cross-examina'

tion of D. A. Cushman, as to the meaning of the Webster movement, is not surpassed by the best exploits of the London detective police. We cannot doubt that Mr. Fillmore's prospects will be very advanced by the intrepid and astute of his principal official representative at this port. flow much longer the inquest is to continue, we are ."